José Marín Varona

José Marín Varona (Camagüey, March 10, 1859Havana, September 17, 1912) was a Cuban composer, conductor, pianist and professor. Biographical note José Marín Varona was born on March 10, 1859, in the city of Camagüey, where he began his musical studies with professor Mariano Agüero. At a later time, Varona established his residence in Havana. In 1896, the composer included in his zarzuela “El Brujo” the first Cuban guajira which has been historically documented. Shortly after the premiere of “El Brujo”, Marín Varona travelled to the United States because of threats received from the Spanish government because of his support of the Cuban independence movement. During his exile, he continued his musical activity and offered presentations with the purpose of collaborating with the national independence cause. In Key West, he contributed to the local media with news articles and musical critique. Upon returning to Cuba, Marín Varona was married to the Spanish singer Amalia Rodríguez and travelled through the Americas with zarzuela and operetta companies. In 1913, Cuban composer José Mauri offered a lecture about his work at the National Academy of Arts and Literature; and in 1916, the In